Membership and Recruitment Awards

Star Council Award

The Star Council Award is the highest distinction any council can realize. It takes into consideration membership and insurance growth as well as programming activities reported in each of the five program categories of our “Surge…with Service” program.

At the end of the 2006-07 fraternal year, 1,451 councils achieved Star Council status. Additionally, 271 councils met both the membership and insurance quotas but they did not perform their volunteer activities or did not complete the Columbian Award application, thus depriving them of Star Council status. We continue to urge all grand knights to give closer attention to completing and submitting their Columbian Award Application before the June 30 deadline.

As a special incentive for those grand knights whose councils attained Star Council status, their names were entered into a drawing for one of four incentive trips for their efforts. The grand prize drawing was for one grand knight and his wife to come to this year’s Supreme Convention.

Unfortunately, Gaylon Gerber, past grand knight of Little Flower Council 6117 in Fort Pierre, S.D., was unable to attend the convention. Past State Deputy and Mrs. Joseph Uhrich along with State Deputy and Mrs. Maynard J. Konechne escorted Grand Knight and Mrs. Steve Leber from Council 6117 to be recognized on behalf of the council.

The three grand knights and their wives who won a trip to New Haven during October 2007 are: Patrick Power of Ville Marie Council 10599 in Marystown, Nfld., Charles Nebraski of Msgr. Frank Howard Council 6648 in Havelock, N.C., and Jeff Gruber of Libby Council 3520 in Libby, Mont. The six jurisdictions with the highest number of Star Council winners were: Luzon (109), Texas (98), California (55), Mindanao (50), Florida (48) and New Jersey (48).

Columbian Award

Last fraternal year 1,749 councils conducted at least 20 service program activities (four each in the categories of Church, Community, Council, Family and Youth) to earn the Order’s Columbian Award.

Father McGivney Award

A total of 1,094 councils earned the Father McGivney Award, which recognizes outstanding recruitment and retention efforts.

Founders’ Award

A total of 277 councils won the Founders’ Award, which is earned for excellence in insurance promotion and attainment of the council’s insurance quota.

Star District Awards

 District deputies are responsible to ensure the growth of the Order, and the attainment of Star District status is the ultimate goal of every district deputy. The Star District Award is given to district deputies attaining 100 percent or more of their district’s membership and insurance quotas. A total of 529 district deputies qualified for the Star District Award during the 2006-07 fraternal year, an increase of nine from last year. Award winners receive a wall plaque with a Star District medallion.

The district deputies who attained Star District status during the fraternal year were entered into a drawing for one of four incentive trips for their efforts. District deputies received additional entries into this drawing for each council that attained Star Council within their district.

Past State Deputy and Mrs. Wayne Bieniasz and State Deputy and Mrs. Paul Dendary escorted the winner, District Deputy Robert Hazy from Nevada District 6, when he was recognized at the convention.

Three runners-up won a trip to New Haven: Theodore Monfette (Michigan District 50) Jerald Hanten (Utah District 3) and J. Michael Sartain (Arkansas District 8).

The following jurisdictions had the highest number of Star District winners: Luzon (93), Visayas (67), Mindanao (50) Texas (29) and California (26).

Every Council Active

The Every Council Active program is designed to encourage all councils to recruit at least one new member during the fraternal year. During the 2006-07 fraternal year, 9,677 councils brought in at least one new member. Unfortunately, a total of 3,569 councils failed to achieve this goal, which is an increase of 88 councils from last year.

All state deputies are encouraged to strive toward attaining Every Council Active status during their term in office.